In many of its modern expressions, the church no longer resembles the biblical picture of the church we see in Scripture.  Too often, there is too much of the world in the church and too little of the church in the world.  In Acts 2, we are given a vivid portrait—a “baby picture”—of a church alive with the power, unity, devotion, and growth that marked the Lord’s church from the beginning.  In this segment, we explore four defining characteristics of that kind of church and consider what every local congregation can become when it truly reflects Christ’s design.

The Book of Job—widely regarded as one of the Bible’s oldest books—tells the story of a man who loses everything yet clings to faith.  It confronts one of humanity’s oldest questions: why suffering exists in a world governed by an all-powerful, all-good God.  For thirty-seven chapters, Job’s anguish unfolds through grief, debate, and unanswered questions.  Then, in chapters 38–41, God responds with seventy-seven questions that are responsive, revealing, and redeeming.  Job wants an explanation for his suffering; God gives him a demonstration of His sufficiency.  This message reminds us that we can experience this blessing too!  

During the 2026 Super Sunday Night Worship Celebration at the historic First Baptist Church of Wright City, Missouri, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield reflects on Mark 8:34 and the feeding of the multitudes.  He teaches that our relationship with Jesus Christ, and His presence in our lives through the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit, shapes how we see others.  Like Jesus, we too can be “moved with compassion.”  This message is especially timely on the eve of our nation’s 250th birthday, reminding the church of the urgent need, despite our divisions and disagreements, to “see others as Jesus sees them.”

In this message, we turn to Jeremiah 8:17–22, where the prophet stands in the shadow of national crisis and grieves the unraveling of his people.  With a burdened heart and tear-filled eyes, Jeremiah longs for healing, yet no immediate remedy is in sight.  Still, within his sorrow, a deeper hope begins to emerge—a hope grounded in the unwavering love of the God who called him to preach and called the people into covenant.  Through the Spirit, Jeremiah points us toward the true cure for what ails us, a cure that remains available today.

In 2 Samuel 11, David’s rise to power and ascendancy to the throne of Israel are both marked and marred by a devastating moral failure.  The chapter opens with a popular and victorious king resting in his palace, but it closes with that same king stained by sin after committing adultery with the wife of one of his loyal soldiers.  In 2 Samuel 12, however, the sad saga begins to shift as God adds footnotes to a father’s failure, reminding us that failure is not final.  Dr. T. D. Stubblefield believes this truth is encouraging and vital for every father who can acknowledge, “I have not been perfect.  I have not always made the right decisions or choices.”  Yet God has remained faithful, footnoting every failure with His grace and mercy". 

In Matthew 9:35–38, Jesus is not celebrating the labor movement.  Rather, He is making a sobering declaration about the scarcity and inadequacy of qualified workers in the Kingdom His presence had ushered in.  The rule and reign of God were not merely imminent; they were immediate, because the Son of God was present among us.  The eternal Word of God had become flesh and was dwelling with His people.  Yet His mission to the downcast, the downtrodden, and the disinherited appeared imperiled by a shortage of laborers.  This message examines that shortage and explores its implications for the church today.

In 2 Corinthians, Chapter 3, verses 17-18 and Chapter 4, verse 1, the Apostle Paul identifies the basis of his motivation and confidence in ministry.  What was it that fanned the flames of his confidence and gave him the courage to continue even when he faced daunting and almost unsurmountable odds?  He shares the secret with us in a letter to a church he founded but that was full of naysayers who criticized and condemned his ministry and questioned his credentials as an apostle of the Gospel.  His explanation encourages us when we are tempted to surrender, walk away or quit.  

In 1 Timothy, Chapter 1, verses 7 - 12, the Apostle Paul shares with Timothy as the lengthening shadow of imminent execution and martyrdom for the faith edged closer to the horizon.  Faced with his own mortality, the appeal and exhortation he makes to his beloved son in the ministry in this letter, is distilled through a filter of clarity and urgency.  There are some things that Timothy needs to know; essential spiritual data; some classified information for him and for us.  Listen to this message by Dr. T. D. Stubblefield and explore “what every Christian needs to know.” 

Psalm 23 describes the Great Shepherd’s wisdom, compassion, and devotion.  In stanza 5, the metaphor shifts: David sees himself not only as a sheep under the Shepherd’s care but also as a guest at the Shepherd’s banquet table.  This message explores how the metaphor holds meaning for past, present, and future, and offers principles that have lasting relevance to believers today.

Nestled in the interior of the prophecy of Ezekiel, in Chapter 46, verses 9 – 10 is an ascription or addendum about worship.  Here, like the patterns, procedures and prescriptions in the Book of Leviticus, the worship of the people of God in the house of God was not left to chance.  In this passage, Ezekiel envisions the return of the glory of God to the Temple during the millennial period and provides directions and dictates concerning the traffic flow of worshippers that come there.  This message uncovers three fundamental principles that apply to worshippers today.